Story: Solveig Korherr – Seven Days on El Cap

From Sport Climbing to Big Walls

A Gradual Process
My journey to my first Big Wall experience was a gradual development. After years of sport climbing, during which I achieved many of my goals, I began looking for new challenges. My experiences in multi-pitch climbing in Sardinia, particularly the ascent of "Hotel Supramonte" (8b), intensified my desire for bigger adventures. Having already gained experience in trad climbing, I felt the urge to climb El Capitan one day. When the opportunity came to join Soline, who had already climbed El Cap, the decision was quickly made. She had previously climbed Golden Gate and was looking for a partner for the Pre Muir route (5.13c; 33 pitches). My goal wasn’t necessarily to climb a specific route, but to share the experience of a Big Wall with an experienced partner, learn, and face the challenge of free-climbing a route on El Cap.

Preparation: The First Two Weeks
To familiarize ourselves with the route, we spent the first few days checking out the lower pitches of Pre Muir, also known as "Muir Blast." In the beginning, Soline mostly led, while I focused on crack climbing technique. The trust required for friction climbing on granite was especially something to get used to. Already in the first few days, I learned a lot from Soline, particularly with rope management and hauling. With each day, I felt a little more confident. After two weeks, a good weather window opened—the opportunity for our attempt. Was I ready? No idea. Somehow, the whole thing still felt a bit too big for me. But in the end, only one thing matters: You grow with the challenge.

The First Days on El Cap (Pitches 1-15)

The day before we started, we hauled part of our gear—portaledge, food, sleeping stuff, etc.—up the fixed ropes to Mammoth Ledge (the 11th pitch), our goal for the first day.
On the first climbing day (February 25), we managed eleven pitches. The start was tough—the first few pitches were wet, making the climbing much harder. But we pushed through. Fortunately, the 8a traverse we had previously checked was dry—and surprisingly, it was less of a struggle than the seemingly "easier" but wet pitches before. Exhausted but proud, we finally reached Mammoth Terrace, where we spent our first night on the wall.
Sleeping in the portaledge was far from restful, but it was still a special experience to wake up in the morning and realize: We’re hanging in the middle of a Big Wall.

The Second Day (February 26)
The plan for the second day was to climb pitches 12 through 16—and we stayed fall-free! The 7b+ pitch was a real challenge due to the wet conditions, but we actually got better at climbing wet cracks—haha. The 7c stem pitch was one of my favorites—lots of splits in the wide stance, just my thing. The chimney pitch afterwards also felt better than expected. The coolest part: I got to try a new offwidth technique. Although it wasn’t exactly comfortable, it worked. Despite the exhaustion, I felt strong—and with each meter, I became a little more confident.

Day 3: Silver Fish (Pitch 15) – An Emotional Battle
The Silver Fish pitch (8a+) was the biggest challenge—not only because of the already difficult climbing, but also because the upper, hard part of the route was still wet. Soline and I had checked out this pitch during our preparation and had a rough idea of what to expect. But that didn’t make it any easier.

My first attempt ended in a huge fall—probably around ten meters. In the easier middle section, I had skipped a few placements, thinking I’d reach a no-hand rest soon. But then, my foot slipped while trying to edge. The left wall was so slabby that I hit the wall with my feet first, which flipped me upside down in the harness and slammed my back hard against the rock. For a few seconds, I couldn’t breathe—I was in pure panic mode. Game over? I was afraid I’d seriously injured my back. But after calming down, I felt like I could continue. I definitely didn’t want this fall to throw me off mentally.

Soline led the pitch, and it was incredibly inspiring to watch her. I was so happy for her—but at the same time, I felt the pressure. I didn’t want to be the one holding us up. It can be challenging when one person sends the pitch while the other struggles—this is why open communication about expectations and possible scenarios beforehand is so important.

I was tense for my second attempt, still rattled from the fall, but this time I placed more gear. Even so—just before the belay, on the last hard move, I fell again. So close to sending! I couldn’t believe it. The frustration was huge. I felt completely exhausted and briefly thought about calling it a day. But quitting wasn’t an option. I wanted to try again later.

So, I reached for my tried-and-true remedy for exhaustion: a massive portion of junk food. Chips, brownies, gummy bears—whatever we had. After that, I actually felt a bit better.

On my third attempt, I fought through. My body was tired, my legs were shaking, but I forced myself to stay focused. I somehow got through the lower section, and since I now knew the upper part better, I summoned all my remaining strength—and reached the belay! I could hardly believe it myself. A tough but incredibly rewarding day. A lesson in patience, mental strength, and perseverance. Once again, I was reminded that Big Wall climbing is not only physically challenging but, above all, a huge mental challenge.

Days 4 & 5: Exhaustion Sets In
Day 4 (Pitches 16–23) was long and intense. The 7c+ slab traverse turned out to be particularly tricky—extremely morpho! Luckily, Soline found a new beta that helped both of us. Sometimes, it’s really an advantage when you’re the same size. In the 23rd pitch, we felt the exhaustion more and more. Every move took more strength, and the mental fatigue began to show. It was high time to set up the portaledge and get some rest.

Day 5
We repeated the 23rd pitch, which we had previously checked, and continued to the dihedral— one of the crux pitches 13c (Pitch 24). We were able to both test it. Extremely hard and exhausting—pure stemming. The combination of long climbing days, little sleep, and constantly hauling gear behind us left its mark—physically and mentally. I was completely exhausted, and it was time for a rest day. Luckily, snow was forecasted—perfect for recharging our energy.

Day 6: Rest!
The night was freezing, and the snowstorm was much stronger than expected. Still, we hoped for two more good climbing days before the big rain window arrived.

Day 7: Weather Shift and Retreat
Before we even started the crux dihedral, it became clear that the weather was forcing us out of the wall. More and more ice chunks were falling from above, making me realize how little experience I had with mountain conditions. The cold was brutal—our fingers and toes were going numb. We had underestimated the weather signs and had to make a decision.
Seb, who had been following us with a camera, rappelled down the fixed ropes and warned us that the upper pitches were completely wet, there was a lot of snow at the summit, and it would probably be smartest to bail.
I was frustrated for ignoring the signs—but I learned a valuable lesson: Nature has the final say. Giving up wasn’t easy, but it was the only sensible choice. Retreating from the wall was a challenge in itself: We had to jug up partially iced static ropes and then descend the East Ledges, which were completely covered in snow and ice. It was no easy descent, and the relief was huge when we finally had solid ground beneath our feet.